Electric lamp



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. C. M. BALL.

ELECTRIC LAMP.

N0. 281,229. Patented J111y1'7, 1883.

N. PETERS. Phmwulhu m hur, Washin ton, D. C.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

BALL.

ELECTRIC LAMP.

Noyzsmzg. Patented Jul 17, 1883.

Hllllll .llllllllhh i N. PETERS. vhuwumo m hen Washinglon, 0.1:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLINTON M. BALL,.OF TROY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND JOHN B.TIBBITS, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC LAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 281,229, dated July 17,1883,

Application riled January 13, 1681.

1'0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CLINTON M. BALL, of Troy, in the county ofRensselaer and State of New York, have invented an Improvement inElectric Lamps, of which the following is a specification.

Electric lamps have been made in which the current to the lamp passesthrough the helix of an electro-magnet, and thence to the carbonelectrodes or other source of light. The'electro-magnet serves toregulate the feed of the carbons toward each other by relaxing theholding mechanism when the current weakens and allowing the carbons tobe moved I 5 by gravity or by the action of a spring. In mypresentinvention an electro-magnet of high resistance is placed in a shuntaround the carbons, so that when the resistance increases in the maincircuit, in consequence of the carbons becoming separated, the currentthrough the resistance-magnet is increased, and the feed of the'carbonsis effected by the augmented magnetism of the eleetro-magnet. I combinewith-this magnetic feed a magnetic clamp to 2 apply more or lessfriction to hold the can bons, and this clamp is magnetized by a helixin the main circuit, so that the clamp will cease to be operative if thecurrent is interrupted, and in that condition the carbonholder isliberated and may run down by gravity. I also employ an electro-magnetto separate the carbons and draw the electric arc. These devices, actingtogether, insure great uniformity in the light, because all the 5instrumentalities that act upon the carbons are controlled electrically.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation, partially in section, of themeans for feeding the carbons in my improved lamp. Fig. 2 is similarview of a slight modification in the same, and Fig. 3 is a sectionalplan at the line as x.

The carbons a and b are in holders 0 and (l of any suitable character.To the carbon- 5 holder (1 the rack d is attached, and the pinion 0gears into the same.

f is a gearwheel upon the arbor of the pinion 0, gearing to the pinion gon the arbor 2', which arbor i has on it a ratchet or friction 5o clampwheel, k, and a friction-wheel, Z.

The lever m has the arbor a for its fulcrum,

(No model.)

and in Fig. 1 it is shown with a segmental recess to fit upon thefriction-wheel Z. At one end of the lever in is an armature, a, inproximity to the core of the electro-magnet o, and at the other endthere is an adjustable retractile spring, 1), and the two stop-screws qand s, Fig. 1, are below the lever. The helix ofthe electromagnet o isin a sh unt-wire, 1-, between the bind ing-screws 3 and 4. The magnetismin the core of o constantly attracts the armature a and keeps the leverm in contact with the frictionwheel Z,- but when the lamp is at anaverage brightness, the current passing over the shunt and through thehigh -resistanee helix of 0 is not enough to overcome the spring 1).\Vhen the light lessens, by reason of the increasing length of the arethrough combustion of the electrodes, the current through theshunt-magnet o increases, the armature nis attracted, the wheels areturned, and the carbon is fed and the normal condition of the lightrestored. The feed will be more or less according to the condition ofthe carbons. The stoppawl 2, acting in the fine teeth of 7c, preventsthe parts turlr ing back, and as the magnetism in 0 lessens, thespring 1) draws the lever m, causing it to slip upon the wheel. Z untilit comes into contact with the stop-screw 8. If the magnetism in 0lessens sufficiently, in consequence of the current being turned off,the spring 1) draws down the lever m until it comes into contact withthe stop q, Fig. 1, the stop 8 forming a fulcrum on which the levermoves as it is lifted clear of the fri ction-wheel Z, and that is thenfree to turn with the weight of the carbon-holder.

In Fig. 2 similarparts are shown to those in Fig. 1, except that anaxial magnet, 0, is rep resented instead of a magnet with an armature,and a frictionpawl, 1;, acts upon the edge of. the wheel Z, instead ofthe lever itself resting upon said wheel. The operations will be thesame as aforesaid, except that the lever will not be lifted out ofcontact with the wheel, as described.

I remark that it is preferable to have the gear-wheel f loose on itsarbor, and a pawl, 10, secured to a ratchet-wheel, 10, that is tightlysecured to the arbor, as seen in Fig. 1, so that the carbon holder canbe pushed up when inserting a new carbon.

If desired, the mainline circuit may pass through the helix 1/, Fig. 2,which is of low resistance, and magnetizc the core a, the end of whichis adjacent to the edge of the frictionwheel I, which is also of softiron, so as to become magnetized by induction, and the two parts arenear enough together to form amagnetie brake by reason of the attractionof the parts to each other, and this prevents the weight of the carbonand holder moving the parts; but it the circuit is broken, the core itloses its magnetism and the holder and carbon are free to run down.

The lower-carbon holder 0 is movable endwise within a tubular core, 6,around which is a helix, 7. The inner end of the wire is at tached tothe tubular core 6, and the other end passes by the wire 13 to thebinding-screw 3.

The armature t) is adapted to slide upon the standards 10, around whichare springs the strength of which may be adjusted to lift the armature,the carbon-holder c, the lower carboil, (1, and to sustain. also theweight of the upper carbon, 1), and its holder (Z, and the electro-magnet is made with the external poles, 12, that are magnetized byinduction, and act in conjunction with the tubular core upon the slidingarmature. This armature is clamped to the lower-carbon holder, so thatwhen the current is established through the carbons and through thehelix 7 the magnetic force acting upon the armature will move the sameand separate the carbons, so as to establish the electric are.

I remark that the current, alter it passes through the shunt and theresistance-magnet 0, passes to the binding-screw 3. in Fig. 1 thebimling-screw 4 is in metallic contact with the lirameavork A, eitherdirectly or by a wire, and the biiulingscrcw is insulated. The pillarsor rods B, extending from the frame A to the base 0, should beinsulated, so that the current will pass from the frame A through thecarbons, and thence by the electroanagnet helix 7 and wire 13 eitherdirectly to the bindingpost 3 or else through one of the side rods, itit is insulated from the base (l, and its upper end connected by a wireto the insulated binding-post 3.

I claim as my invention 1. In an electric lamp, the combination, withthe carbons and the electric circuit passing through the same, of ashunt-circuit eontaining an electro-magnet of high resistance, a le veractuated by such magnet, and gearing operated by the lever to move onecarbon toward the other when the energy of the electro-magnet in theshuntcircuit is augmented, and an adjustable spring to return the leverto its normal position, substantially as set forth.

2. In. an electriclamp, the combination, with the electro-magnet of highresistance in a shunt around the electrodes or carbons, of alever actedupon by the eleetro-maguet, a frictionwheel moved by said lever, anadjustable spring to act upon the lever in the opposite direction to theelectro-magnet, and a stop to determine the movement of the lever andgear ing between the friction-wheel and the carbonholder, substzmtiallyas set forth.

3. The combination, in an electric lamp, of an electro-magnet andgearing to feed the carbon, a helix through which the electric currentof the lamp passes, a core, and a friction-wheel of iron to act as abrake to sustain the weight of the carbon when the current is passingthroughthe lamp, and to liberate the same when the current ceases,substantiall as set forth.

4. The electroanagnet for separatin the carbons or electrodes, composedof an iron tube through which the carbon-holder passes, ahelix aroundsuch tube, two poles at opposite sides of the helix, an armatureconnected with the carbon-holder, and springs for sustaining the weightof the moving parts, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 8th day of January, A. l). 1881.

CLINTON M. HALL.

lVitnesses:

W Hanan (l. Mo'r'r, (,i no. T. lINeKNnv.

